His Diamonds
by SebTheWriter
Summary: Merlin's magic has been revealed and he worries about Arthur's reaction. Totally platonic (not) cuddles ensue. One-shot, pure fluff.


**Just a quick one-shot I shot out on my way to bed. The title and most of the fic is based on 'her diamonds' by Rob Thomas. Look it up, it's a really sweet song. Oh, and the cover isn't mine; I got it off Google. If it is yours, you're amazing and I love you. Enjoy the story~**

"_It was you… you're a sorcerer."_

Arthur watched his servant from the doorway as Merlin stumbled about, oblivious to the prince's presence. It had been nearly a fortnight since the bandit attack, since he had seen Merlin –sweet, clumsy, completely innocent _Merlin_ – conjure magic powerful enough to throw an entire army of ruffians back a good fifty feet.

Arthur had been injured, his leg twisted and caught in a simple spring-trap. They had been alone in the forest – Arthur had ignored everyone who told him to take knights on the hunting trip – when the bandits attacked. They had sprung from every side as soon as Arthur had unwittingly walked into the metal trap. As he internally cursed himself for letting his guard down, Merlin had been spinning in circles, panic clear in his eyes. Arthur yelled at him to run, but instead, the younger man had turned to him, his terrified gaze meeting Arthur's dead on. Letting out a shuddering breath, Merlin had let his eyes flutter closed. His lips moved silently, and when his eyes snapped open, they glowed with molten gold. In that instant, the bandits flew backwards as though pushed by an invisible force, being knocked out or killed by the trees surrounding them.

Merlin didn't say anything as he freed Arthur's leg from the trap – again using his strange, wordless magic – and helped him to his feet. The servant's eyes remained firmly fixed on the ground as he refused to meet his friend's gaze. He pulled Arthur's arm about his shoulders and began leading him back to their horses. The prince, still in shock from what he had seen, refused to move.

"Merlin."

"Arthur, we need to get back to Camelot. There may be more of them coming."

"It was you… you saved us. You're a sorcerer."

Merlin still refused to look at him. "I understand if you want to have me killed, but can I at least help you get home?" He sounded worn out, hopeless. Arthur had no idea how to react. His best friend – his _only_ friend – was a sorcerer. He had just used magic to save Arthur's life. He had most likely done it countless times before, and Arthur had never noticed.

No. If he was being completely honest with himself, Arthur had noticed something. A twinkle in Merlin's eyes after a too-lucky escape, clothes cleaned and swords sharpened in far less time than it should have taken, long periods when Merlin seemingly vanished from the palace. From the first day they met, the prince had noticed something off about this confident, yet seemingly careless boy. Something he could never quite define.

But _this_, this was too much; too much to handle in one day, at any rate. So instead of attempting to further the discussion, Arthur simply nodded and let Merlin guide him back to his mount.

Now, nearly two weeks later, Arthur was still unsure how to breach the topic with his friend. He would never reveal his secret; it was clear that Merlin meant no harm to him or the kingdom, or he would have done something by now. He was a good servant and a loyal friend, and Arthur could never think of him as an evil sorcerer, no matter how magical he was.

For his part, Merlin had been uncharacteristically quiet and obedient, and on the rare occasion he looked Arthur in the eyes, his gaze had seemed just as terrified as it had been when he revealed himself in the first place. So Arthur watched from a distance, tried to gauge Merlin's moods from the way he went about his chores and duties. The young man was nearly always distracted and worried, tripping over discarded clothes and completing his routines in a blank trance. His eyes were dull and his motions robotic. That is, until Arthur was in the vicinity. Then he became positively jumpy.

Arthur was broken from his reverie as the object of his studies broke away from the desk he was organizing, crossing the room to sink onto Arthur's bed. The prince heard a small whimper from his place in the doorway, before Merlin began trembling, shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs. Arthur began to turn away – Merlin probably needed his space – but something stopped him: a light clink from Merlin's direction. It was followed by another, and a third. As he turned back, the prince noticed something glinting from the floor by his friend's feet. Curious, he stepped forward. The stones where Merlin sat were littered with tiny jewels, clear and shimmering. He bent to retrieve one, but once in his hand, the miniscule diamond broke into a droplet of water. It rolled down his finger and evaporated, vanishing in the heat of his skin.

When Arthur looked up, Merlin was staring down at him in trepidation.

"I can't help it, you know," he mumbled. "It just happens. Like my magic; it's just a part of who I am."

Arthur nodded. He didn't know what else to do.

"Are you going to have me executed?" Despite the tears still rolling down his cheeks – turning to diamonds as they fell through the air – Merlin's voice was dead calm.

At the sight of his friend's sorrow, Arthur couldn't help the tears pricking the corners of his own eyes. He laughed sharply to cover it. "Merlin, if I was going to tell my father, don't you think I would have by now?"

This earned him a small smile, as Merlin flicked a diamond-tear from his face. "I guess so… does this mean you forgive me?"

"Well, I was pretty mad that you lied to me for so long…" Arthur mused, "but I suppose I can find it in me to forgive you."

Merlin smiled widely, and Arthur felt his heart twinge – his servant was far too endearing for his own good.

"Of course," the prince quickly continued, "that doesn't mean you're off the hook. My armor still needs to be polished, you need to fetch my dinner, and that laundry won't fold itself."

Merlin's grin widened. "Well, technically—"

"And no cheating." Arthur quickly added. "You're doing this by_ hand."_

Merlin pouted. "That's no fair."

"You've managed this long."

Suddenly, Merlin was crying again, his face hidden in his hands. Arthur balked.

"Wait, what's wrong now? I'm letting you off, aren't I? Why are you crying?" _Please don't cry, I can't stand to see you sad._

"Sorry," Merlin sniffed, looking up at Arthur. "I just can't help it. I hid this side of me for so long, and now you actually accept it, and I just can't—"

He was cut off as Arthur tugged him to his feet and into a tight embrace. "Come on, Merlin, don't be such an idiot. I would never— of course I trust you! How could you ever think— ugh, just forget it!" Arthur gave up trying to find the right words, opting instead to bury his face in his friend's shoulder. Merlin smiled against the prince's neck, slipping his arms around Arthur's waist.

"Thanks," he murmured. Arthur grumbled something unintelligible in return, muffled against Merlin's scarf. The other just laughed as his prince held him tighter. "Sorry, I didn't catch that."

Arthur let out a disgruntled noise, but repeated it. "I said _thank you_, you idiot."

"For what?"

Merlin felt Arthur shrug against him. "Everything. For always being there for me, even when I don't deserve it."

The warlock smiled, lifting one hand to run itself through his friend's hair. "I'll always be here to protect you, Arthur. I'm not going anywhere."

Arthur 'hmph'ed as he pulled out of the hug. "It's not like I need your help anyway."

"Right," Merlin laughed, "Now, want me to get you ready for bed?"

Arthur scowled and muttered that he was perfectly capable of looking after himself, but let Merlin rid him of his chain mail. He was tired, and had missed the comfortable banter between them. As Merlin leaned in to unlace his shirt, Arthur tugged the servant back into his arms, allowing his lips to brush the other's ear.

"Tell you what," he whispered. "I'll admit I can… _sometimes_ use your help, if you stay with me tonight. No catch, just… just stay like this." He held Merlin a bit closer to emphasize his point.

The warlock smiled cheekily, reaching up to wrap his arms around Arthur's neck. "You'll never stop being a prat, will you?"

"Is that a yes?" The prince matched his friend grin for grin.

Merlin laughed lightly. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Later, the two sprawled in Arthur's bed side by side, Arthur in his nightclothes, and one of his nightshirts swamping Merlin's skinny frame. The warlock had propped his head on Arthur's shoulder, and the prince had one arm draped loosely behind Merlin's neck.

"Show me more," Arthur demanded.

Merlin smiled in contentment; "Let's see… you've seen fire and water, levitation, twisters—" "Yeah, that last one might not have been a good idea." Arthur interrupted, glancing around the room. Several books and a shelf of clothing had been upset by Merlin's miniature tornado.

The warlock just laughed and waved a hand, murmuring something under his breath. The displaced belongings were swept up and returned to their proper positions.

"Well," Arthur grinned, "That's one chore of your list for tomorrow." He paused and looked at Merlin, "Why don't you just use magic for all your duties?"

"I do, sometimes," Merlin admitted, "But I guess I've gotten used to having to keep it a secret. Besides," he admitted, almost shyly, "I like serving you. It's—" he paused to yawn loudly "—It's my destiny."

"Right," Arthur replied skeptically. "Well, right now you can serve your destiny by getting some rest. You've got plenty of non-magical chores to do tomorrow."

Merlin groaned and rolled over, snuggling down into Arthur's pillows. "It's pretty cozy here," me mumbled sleepily. "We should do this more often."

The prince hummed in agreement, before thoughtlessly leaning down to brush his lips against Merlin's cheek. He froze a moment later, realizing the mistake of his action. Merlin had never agreed to pursue a relationship with Arthur—had he misread the signs? But Merlin simply rolled over and kissed him, pressing their lips together gently. It was quick and light, and left Arthur reeling. "Relax," Merlin whispered against his lips, before turning his back on his prince and cuddling back into his arms. Arthur smiled, shaking his head at his warlock's audacity. Tugging him closer and nuzzling his face into the other's neck, Arthur let himself drift off to sleep, safe with his love. The prince's last thought before sleep overtook him was that perhaps this idiot really was his destiny; he and Merlin would always be there for one another, whenever the other needed it.

**So yeah, hope you enjoyed that crazy ball of fluff. Sorry for any errors and/or OOCness; I'm really tired and I just have a lot of feelings.**


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